


Unexpected Homecomings

by aseriesofolafevents



Series: Bowtruckles and Broken People [2]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-09-02 09:29:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16784242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aseriesofolafevents/pseuds/aseriesofolafevents
Summary: In which Bunty prepares dinner, Newt returns home and Tina feels awkward.ORThe one where Bunty realises that Newt is in love with Tina.





	Unexpected Homecomings

**Author's Note:**

> Thought I'd go from Bunty's perspective because you don't usually see many fics with her as the leader. Don't know if I regret it! If you enjoy, please leave kudos and comments!! Xoxo

Dear Bunty,  
By now you will have heard about what happened in Paris and, being smart, will have put two and two together to realise that I was, in fact, mixed up in it. However, no one else has managed to do this, so I’d rather you keep it quiet.   
I hope the Kelpie’s wound has healed nicely, I feel awful for leaving you to deal with him by myself, yet I presume we will have plenty of assistance for the foreseeable future.  
We’ll be home tomorrow, in the evening, once we’ve visited Hogwarts. I don’t expect you to hang around and so I’ll see you the following morning.  
See you Soon,  
Newt.

She traced her hand over the signature at the bottom for the fifth time that day, letting herself relish in the knowledge that he had touched this very paper, a day before. The stew on the stove gave a small bubble of contempt and she glared at it, as if it was scolding her for her affections. Proceeding to ignore the bubbling noise, she brought her attention back to the mid part of the small, yet undeniably affectionate letter. What had he meant by ‘assistance’? She screwed up her nose in confusion. And he had said ‘We’. At first, she had presumed this to mean Newt and the Nifflers, but now, she wasn’t so sure.

She shook her head and stood up. She was being silly. Newt couldn’t have possibly met someone in the week he had been in Paris, much less be bringing her back to England. No, she was being stupid. She had no doubt that in an hours time, Newt would be sat beside her at the table, complimenting her on her stew making abilities. Maybe he’d light a candle, or open some champagne, toast his survival. Glancing at the grandfather clock ticking in the corner she felt her chest swell with expectation. He had said ‘evening’ and it was now six o clock. He wouldn’t be much longer then an hour away.

Bunty made herself busy, tidying the already tidied kitchen, choosing to rewash the spanking clean glasses and repolish the shining table. She’d missed him terribly. It was her hours spent with Newt which made her small, yet comfortable life meaningful. She grinned like a fool, thinking of the way Newt had changed her life, without even knowing it. He was brilliant in that way.

At school, she had never been particularly smart, despite her rare aptitude in Care of Magical Creatures. Despite this, she’d been in Ravenclaw House. She was smart with people, despite her lack of wider friends. She kept to a close knit group and cherished every time she’d spent with them. Her mother, a beautiful tall red headed woman, had been in Ravenclaw, as had her Grandmother and all other women before her. Cleverness seemed to run in the family. Yet at Bunty, that river of knowledge seemed to be stunted. She had dreaded holidays at home with her mother. It wasn’t that her mother was cruel, only that she was entirely self absorbed and seemed to view Bunty as a member of the help rather than her daughter. She would have Bunty help her dress for whatever party she was attending that night. After which, Bunty would retreat to her room, staring out into the pale moonlight.

Once she’d left school, it seemed as though there would be no other choice for Bunty but to get a boring job at the boring Ministry. Which she did. For a couple of years. Before she saw Newt’s advertisement in the back of the The Daily Prophet. Her mother had disapproved, of course. But ultimately, the job paid enough that Bunty could rent a small apartment for herself, just outside of London. 

Her feelings for Newt had started the moment she met him. She sighed. It really had been love at first sight. Here was a man who understood her, who was like her. She liked him. A lot.  
And tonight was the night she would finally tell him and hopefully he would-

A crackle from the fire interrupted her thoughts, causing her to jump up. She grinned with delight, her eyes shining under the warm candlelight as she hurried over to the fireplace. She dragged the grate back, just as the flames which, a second ago had burnt orange, started to light up with a glorious green colour. Standing back, her heart thumped in anticipation and excitement as a figure began to form in the flames.

“You’re home!” She cried, just as the figure finally emerged. She frowned. It was not the man whom she had been expecting.  
Instead, a tall dark haired woman stood out of the fire, brushing the rest of the soot of her shoulders. Bunty felt her face fall as her heart skipped a beat.  
“You.” She breathed under her breath. The other woman looked up in surprise, startled. She had obviously not been expected to be greeted by someone. Her hand instinctively went for her pocket.  
“I’m Newt’s assistant!” Bunty snapped quickly, perhaps a little too harshly.   
“Oh.” The woman lowered her wand, rubbing her forehead. “Yes...Newt mentioned...well you might want to step back because-”  
They were interrupted by a low rumble of a yell as a short, rounded man stood in the kitchen with the both of them. He looked between the woman and Bunty, who looked at him in confusion. When the dark haired woman nodded to him he smiled at her, extending a hand.  
“Jacob.” He said as she took his hand and shook it. “Friend. Baker. Partner in crime. No Maj.” He spoke in a heavy accent as Bunty nodded.  
“Bunty. Newt’s Assistant.” She smiled at him as they shuffled backwards. “Newt mentioned you a lot.”  
Jacob looked touched at this and gave a warm smile, glancing at Tina. “Well then he must of mentioned old Tina over here a million times.” He jerked his thumb at the taller woman who blushed slightly.  
Bunty narrowed her eyes. “Nope.” She said quickly.  
Jacob looked confused, whilst Tina looked disheartened and whilst Bunty knew that she SHOULD care, she just couldn’t bring herself to.  
“When’s Newt coming-”  
Another figure appeared in the kitchen, a slender frightened looking woman, who was probably younger than Bunty herself. She looked around the room in fear, before her face relaxed as she saw Jacob, she gave a small smile.  
“This is Nagini.” He told Bunty as the woman made sat in the seat where Bunty had imagined Newt to sit. She couldn’t help but feel a tingle of annoyance.  
“Yes well,” She said quickly as she saw Tina and Jacob eyeing up the setting of the table. “I hadn't expected company.” She was being too defensive, she knew, and didn’t miss the way Jacob's eyebrow quirked towards Tina.

Another yell and a dark skinned man stood before them. He eyed Bunty suspiciously before Tina gave another curt nod, leading him to dip his head in a funny half bow.  
“Yusef Kama.” He said with a strong French accent. He turned to Tina and Jacob. “Mr Scamander won’t be long he’s just fetching some more powder.”  
Bunty felt a tingle of excitement. So Newt would finally be next, she thought, relieved that he wouldn’t be leaving her with these strange people.

Sure enough, the fires ripped a green once more and a tall figure emerged, grumbling about the soot. This was a Scamander, alright, but not the one she had been expecting.  
“Theseus!’ She exclaimed, forgetting herself for a moment. “I mean...Mr Scamander! What are you doing here!”  
“Heaven knows,” She heard Theseus mumble before turning back to her. “What are YOU doing here Bunty? Surely Newt doesn’t make you work this late?”  
She felt all eyes turn to her as her cheeks glowed a rosy red. “No-oo.” She replied, still a little flustered. “But I thought I’d make him something to eat before I left and tidy about a bit and then it got late and so I thought well I might just wait until he arrives and then I laid the table and-”  
The flames roared for a final time as, finally, after all this waiting, Newt stepped into the room, case in hand. She grinned at once, forgetting her story and forgetting the eyes on her.  
“Newt!” She gasped, charging across the room into his arms. “Thank Merlin you’re alright!”  
Newt seemed momentarily caught off guard by her display of affection, yet soon patted her gently on the back. She didn’t miss the way his eyes flew awkwardly over to Tina, who was watching the both of them with tight lips, as she broke away from him.  
“Bunty!” He said, returning her enthusiastic smile. “What are you doing here?”  
“I thought I’d stay and make sure you got home alright!” She told him, going over to the stove to pick up the stew, she bumped into Tina rather hard as she walked past yet didn’t stop to say sorry. “I made stew!” She proclaimed lifting the top off the pot. Everyone stared at her rather blankly and she suddenly felt self conscious. Theseus cleared out his throat.  
“You should get yourself home, Bunty.” Newt said suddenly and she tried to stop it, but her face fell. “Thank you for the stew. We will enjoy it before we go to bed.”  
“They’re staying? Here?” Bunty asked loudly, pointing at only Tina as she spoke. Tina looked away uncomfortably and Jacob smirked slightly at Theseus.  
“Yes Bunty.” Newt nodded, smiling weakly. “Now really, it’s late. You should go.”  
Bunty stood in the same position for a moment before pulling herself together.  
“Yes.” She jumped into action, summoning her coat and purse. “Yes.” She looked around the room, eyes focusing on Tina. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Bright and early.”  
Sweeping out of the room, she felt the tears glisten in her eyes. She’d know the eyes of Tina anywhere. They really didn’t look any different from the photograph.

By her promise, Bunty was in the kitchen, bright and early in the morning, bustling around in the kitchen before anyone was up. She made coffee and sat with a mug, awaiting everyone to come down after she had finished the morning rounds.  
Tina was the first one down, wearing long slacks and an old shirt that, Bunty’s heart flipped, belonged to Newt. She smiled awkwardly at Bunty, before pouring herself a cup of coffee and sitting down near her. For a couple of moments, no one spoke, as Tina drummed her fingers on the table and Bunty glanced around the room nervously.  
“That’s his shirt.” Bunty told Tina in an accusing voice, breaking the drops of silence that lingered. Tina glanced down at the shirt as if only just noticing it.  
“Oh yes.” She replied, smiling at it in an odd way. “It is.”  
Bunty coughed and Tina looked up, broken away from her moment. “Newt gave it to me. I haven’t got any clothes with me and it was too late to go to buy some last night.”  
Bunty nodded and Tina smiled weakly, training her eyes on the half drunk coffee mug in front of her.  
“You changed your hair.” Bunty stated.  
“Excuse me?”  
“Your hair. You changed it.” Bunty took a deep breath. “You got a fringe.”  
“How do you-”  
“I saw it.” Bunty burst out, making Tuna jump with surprise. “I saw you. Every day. On that stupid wrinkled up poster.”  
Tina looked up suddenly and Bunty recognised something in her eyes, from feeling it herself. A small light of hope.  
“Where...Where was the photo?” Tina asked in a small timid voice.  
“His case.”  
“Oh.”  
“Yes.”

Silence descended upon them once more. Tina fiddled with one of the buttons on her shirt, whilst Bunty drummed her fingers on the table just as she had seen Tina do.  
“Bunty look-”  
Bunty looked up, catching Tina’s eyes. They were a lovely colour. Newt probably fell in love with her eyes first.  
“Please- Please don’t.” She told the taller woman. “I see it. In his eyes. He wants you, not me.” She felt her eyes burn with hot tears as she choked back a sob. “Please don’t tell me that you’re sorry. Because you shouldn’t be. He’s yours.” She stood up abruptly, wiping her tears with her sleeve. “Tell Newt that I can’t come in today. That I’m sick and I’m dreadfully sorry.”  
She grabbed her coat and was about to head for the door when she felt her a warm hand grab her own.  
“Don’t go.” Tina said, squeezing her hand. Bunty looked at her in confusion. “I want us..to be friends.”  
“Oh.” Bunty said softly, in a surprised tone. “You do?”  
Tina nodded and led Bunty back to the table. “I’m quite out of friends at the moment, you see.” She gave a strange chuckle which sounded more like a sob. “So I need as many new ones as I can find.”  
Bunty thought about it. She cared about Newt deeply that was true. But here was a woman who needed her, or at least her friendship. Bunty might not have been the smartest of girls but she knew when to help a friend in need.  
“I think…” She said slowly. ‘That we could be friends.’  
Tina smiled in relief. She extended a hand.   
“Hi, I’m Tina Goldstein.”  
Bunty took a deep breathe, before grasping Tina’s hand and giving it a slight squeeze. “Bunty. It’s a pleasure to meet you Tina.”


End file.
